Mom's Thanksgiving Dressing

This dressing can be made in advance in easy stages. My Mom usually makes the egg bread the day before she needs it.

EGG BREAD: 

>Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

*Grease a 10in cast iron skillet or a 9in cake pan. [do not preheat pan in oven]

Mix the following ingredients together in a bowl. If it seems a little too thick, add more milk.

3/4 Cup self-rising corn meal

1/4 Cup self rising flour

5 Eggs

1 Tablespoon oil

1/4 Cup buttermilk

1/4 Cup whole milk

Mix til well blended. Pour in prepared pan and bake at 425 for 15-20 min. Set aside to cool. 

*This can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen and thawed out the day before it is needed. .

BROTH FOR DRESSING:

*large pot of boiling water

Chicken bouillon [to your taste]

2 Chicken back or necks

3 Hard boiled eggs-chopped

2 Stalks of celery-chopped

1 Large onion-chopped

In a large pot boil chicken necks/backs for 1.5-2 hrs. The meat should be falling off the bone. Remove the bones, pick the meat off of them and add the meat back to the broth.  Reduce heat to low/med, add celery and onions. Cook til vegetables are soft. Add chopped hard boiled eggs when veggies are done.

While onions and celery are cooking, process the dressing below:

DRESSING:

>Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

*Food processor, large bowl, 13 x 9 in. pan

**If you do not have a food processor, the mixing can be done with bare hands in a large bowl.

1 Box Stove Top Stuffing [Savory Herb or Chicken flavor]

1 Recipe of egg bread

1 Recipe chicken broth 

Additional canned chicken broth [if needed]

In a food processor [or by hand] coarsely crumble/chop egg bread, then add the box of stove top stuffing and the seasoning pack. Process together til fine. Put in large bowl then add 1 recipe chicken broth. Mix it well. The consistency should be a little "soupy." Add canned chicken broth if needed to get the soupy consistency. Pour into 13x9 pan and bake at 350 degrees til brown on top. 

If the dressing is not soupy when it goes into the oven, it will be dry when it comes out. Trust Mom on this, lol. 

I've had lots of dressing over the years but this one is forever my favorite.  

Grandma Petrey's Pumpkin Pie

My Grandma Petrey handed this recipe down to my Aunt Barbara and it was then passed down to me. 

I will have additional tweaks at the end to cut back the sugar and carbs. 

 Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Ingredients: 

2 eggs 

1 one-lb can of pumpkin. [not pumpkin pie mix] 

3/4 Cup packed brown sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 

1 12oz. can evaporated milk 

1 deep dish frozen pie crust, thawed/defrosted. 

 Mix first 5 ingredients thoroughly, then mix in evaporated milk. Mix well. Pour into pie crust. [should be some left over.] 

 Bake in pre-heated 425 degree oven for 15 min., then LOWER TEMP to 350 degrees and bake for 50min. 

 Check for doneness by inserting a sharp knife in the center. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, continue to bake and check at 5min. increments til done. 

My tweaks for lower carbs and sugar: 

 *I subbed out equal amount of Swerve brown sugar for regular brown sugar. 

*I do not use a pie crust at all and put it in a glass deep dish pie pan. There is no leftover pie filling this way, also.